Dispensing container



Nov. 26, 1968 C. G. SHERMAN DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 31, 1966 INVEN TOR C. C. SHERMAN A r TOR/VF vs United States Patent 3,412,918 DISPENSING CONTAINER Clayton C. Sherman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 590,653 4 Claims. (Cl. 2297) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispensing container utilizing a tear opening feature is provided with a section wherein the opposing walls are intimately aflixed together so as to provide a stop for the tear and thereby control the size of the opening formed. A stress concentration means such as a notch or slit can be provided to facilitate initiating the tear.

This invention relates to dispensing containers.

Many otherwise tough plastic materials exhibit the property of tearing easily in at least one direction once a tear is initiated. This property has long been utilized in containers to enable an opening to be formed for dispensing the contents. Such dispensing means, however, have suffered from the disadvantage that the tear, once initiated, may continue in an uncontrolled manner to form an opening that is too large or too small.

It is an object of this invention to provide a dispensing container with a tear opening wherein the extent of tea-ring is controlled.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a dispensing container with a tear opening wherein the size of the opening formed can be controlled.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a dispensing container wherein the opposed sides are intimately afiixed together in a small section so as to provide a stop for the tearing action and whereby the size of the opening to be formed is controlled by the placement of this section.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a self-supporting dispensing container with a tear opening wherein the extent of tearing is controlled.

In accordance with this invention a dispensing container utilizing a tear opening feature is provided with a section wherein the opposing walls are intimately affixed together so as to provide a stop for the tear and thereby control the size of the opening formed.

In the drawings, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in both views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a sealed dispensing container made in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

The body of this container comprises a generally flat bottom 2, sides tapering to form a pouch-like upper portion 3 composed of two opposed side wall portions 4 and 4', and a closed top part 6. Closed top part 6 has a tear initiating area 8. Along one side edge 9 and spaced apart from the tear initiating area is a section 10 in which the opposed walls are sealed together. Opposite the edge adjacent the intimately afiixed section is a flat sealed edge 12.

The position and shape of the sealed section 10 can be adjusted so as to control the size of the hole to be formed; for instance it can be moved downward to give a larger hole or moved upward to give a smaller hole. This section may be of any desired shape, i.e. circular, generally curved, square, etc.; preferably it is curved. It is preferably for-med by heat sealing the 3,412,918 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 ice walls together but may also be formed by adhesive bonding the walls together or by intimately affixing them together by stapling or by other mechanical means. In addition to forming a stop for the tear, this sealed section provides a built-in pouring spout; thus this section is preferably formed into a pattern of the desired shape for providing a pouring spout. Location of tear area also determines to some extent the size of the hole to be formed.

The tear initiating area can contain a notch or a split or other means whereby stress is concentrated to initiate a tear. In an alternate embodiment the tear initiating means as such can be eliminated; in such cases directions can be provided on the package to indicate that the tear is to be initiated in this area.

The top part is preferably closed by heat sealing the walls together, but it too can be formed by adhesive bonding, stapling, or by other mechanical means.

The upper portion of this container must be of a pouch-like nature, that is a bag with opposed main wall sections as distinguished from a square or rectangular shape with widely spaced apart side walls. The bottom however can be round, square, etc.; or it can be comprised of two opposed main wall sections so that the entire container is in the form of a bag or pouch. In a preferred embodiment the bottom is substantially round and the side walls are sufficiently rigid to provide a self-supporting container. Alternatively the container may be flexible and not self-supporting. In embodiments having a flat sealed side edge, this edge is an important factor in providing a self-supporting container with a minimum wall thickness.

The size of this container may vary widely. For instance it may be only about 1 /2 inches high in a coffee cream holder designed or it may be one foot high or higher in a milk container design.

This container is preferably made from flat film. This film is formed into a tube and heat sealed along one side to form the flat sealed edge 12. Sections of this tube are then cut off and sealed across one end to form the bottom. Obviously tubular film can also be used as a starting material. Also, these containers can be formed by blow molding. When they are made by blow molding they may either be formed initially in a closed condition with only the blow hole open (through which they can be filled) or they can be made with one end open, this end being sealed after the container is filled with the material to be packaged. Other molding means such as injection molding or stamping can be used to form these containers in the form of open ended blanks which are later sealed. In an alternate embodiment the fiat sealed edge 12 may be along one side instead of at one end. Also it can be folded against a side wall if desired.

These containers can be formed from a wide variety of materials. A preferred. material when fabricating them from film is a laminate of cellophane and polyethylene. Other suitable laminates include paper, metal foil, or oriented polyester film laminated to a polymer or copolymer of ethylene, butene, or propylene. Also suitable are laminates of three or more layers. Other suitable materials include broadly an'y thermoplastic material either as the sole component or as one layer of a laminate. Polymers of at least one l-olefin of from 2-8 carbon atoms per molecule, preferably polymers and copolymers of ethylene, propylene, and butene are particularly suitable. Also suitable are polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidine chloride, nylon and the like.

These containers may be filed with the material which is to be packaged in them using conventional equipment well known in the industry. A particular advantage of the preferred embodiment of this invention wherein the container is self-supporting is that the faster rotary fillers can be utilized.

The top part may be sealed at an angle sloping downward in the direction opposite the pouring end so as to aid in forming a pouring spout.

EXAMPLE A fiat film comprised of 1 mil cellophane onto which was extrusion coated a 2%. mil layer of polyethylene was rolled into a cylinder with the polyethylene layer on the inside. This was heat sealed along one edge to form a tube with a flat sealed strip running parallel to the long axis of the tube. A section about 2 /2 inches long was cut off and one end sealed and folded to form a generally fiat bottom. The top part was heat sealed with a seal about %-inch wide. A V shaped notch about {;inch deep was die cut into this sealed top part; this notch was back about /2-inch from the side edge. Along this same side edge, down /z-inch from the bottom of the heat sealed top part, the side walls were sealed together in a curved pattern as shown in the drawing.

While this invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, it is not to be construed or limited thereby but is intended to cover all changes and modifications which are within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dispensing container filled with a material to be packaged comprising an upper portion and a lower portion of said upper portion having opposed side walls, a closed top part, a tear initiating area in said closed top part containing a stress concentration means, and a section in said upper portion wherein the opposed walls are intimately affixed together to provide a stop for a tear so as to control the size of any opening formed, said section being inwardly directed and spaced apart from the closed top part along a side edge adjacent said tear initiating area, said lower portion being connected to the upper portion.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the closed top part is heat sealed and the section wherein the opposed walls are intimately afiixed together is formed by heat sealing.

3. A container according to claim 1 wherein the material comprising the container is a laminate of polyethylene and cellophane.

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein the closed top part is heat sealed, the section wherein the opposed walls are intimately affixed together is formed by heat sealing said section being down about Az-inch from the bottom of said heat sealed top part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,756,154 6/1956 Mahaify. 2,919,059 12/1959 Sporka 229-3.5 2,923,404 2/1960 Adell. 3,083,876 4/1963 Schneider et a1 22922 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,412,918

November 26, 1968 Clayton C. Sherman It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, line 31, "portion of" should read portion,

Signed and sealed this 10th day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

